What Do You Know About The Wardrobe Revolution?

What are you wearing?
The media has always asked actresses this during awards ceremonies.
I guess this is how the show-biz goes.

But, here is the thing, since perhaps... forever. Women have always been in the spotlight of what they’re wearing, what they should and shouldn't put on. And no society has spared them criticism: too vulgar, too casual, too revealing, or too concealing...

In western societies, for instance, women in high society were once compelled to wear corsets. And by no means I’m referring to these ‘’sexy’’ little things you see in lingerie stores. We’re talking about corsets that took a village to put them on, causing women some severe back issues while compromising their vital functions. That was the cost of beauty back in the days: backaches and shortness of breath!

Getting rid of this body-choker was welcomed with hostility from both genders. Hopefully, corsets were left behind thanks to visionary people like Paul Poiret and Chanel. Step by step, they designed a new pattern for fashion. And that’s why today, we are walking Corsetless. And I’m so grateful for that!

Thankfully, fashion has never been more feminist and inclusive than today.
So what do women really want from their clothes from now on?

What women really want: It’s a high heel thing!

Fifteen years ago, it was almost a dress code to show up on a first date with high heels, and if we didn’t, we were not girlfriend material, or perhaps we were sending all mixed-up signals to our date. Funny times!
Then, there was a time when getting inside a club with no high heels felt like Mission Impossible!

However, the most dangerous thing would be the high heels policy at work. Companies literally compel women to wear high heels every day at work to look more attractive. Some might think: But, men also have to wear ties in some workplaces!
I’m going to answer you with a question: Do ties cause blisters or serious back issues?
There you go! That's what women absolutely don't want to end up with!

And not a long time ago, precisely in 2015 at Cannes Festival, some women were forced to leave the Red carpet for not wearing high heels!
Luckily things are turning around.
These kinds of silly incidents are the reason why debates are open. Thanks to the change of mindset, the criteria of beauty are changing too. To be in Vogue is nice, but to feel comfortable is way more important. This change has created an impact on the fashion market. And for this reason, today, we see more sneakers than high heels, even at work.

What women really want: A pair of pants worth wearing!

Do you remember these very low-waist jeans back in early 2000? They were the only thing in the market for a while, and they were super uncomfortable. These pants always needed a belt; otherwise, they just fell off. And remember these wide-leg trousers? They were cute. But, the trendy thing about them was to let the edge drag down the floor. No wonder why mom hated them!

On a serious note, the most inconvenient feature when it comes to women's pants is pockets! We struggled with these shallow-tight-useless things, and we couldn’t even fit our keys inside. How many times have we lost important stuff because people in the fashion industry decided that women don’t need decent pockets? Women really want useful pockets, period!

Plus, women are no longer required to wear trousers and jeans only. Yes, Joggers and leggings are back in the game! Women wear them daily, and not just because they’re PMSing or heading to the gym. They send a strong message that women can absolutely pull this off without losing their femininity in any way. We can wear a skirt because we can, and we can wear a jogger because we also can. No pair of pants or outfit can compromise our beauty and worth.

Comfort and glamor! That's what women really want.

You are a Phenomenal woman in a Jogger!

What women really want: Goodbye to fashion guidelines!

I don’t know if you have ever noticed - if you're a millennial or a boomer, you probably have- but fashion has never been this versatile until the last decade. There is no specific pattern to follow. Being outdated doesn’t exist anymore. You can wear something that belongs to your grandma in her 20’s and still looks like a Rockstar. More teenagers are into those wide-leg jeans from 2000, and women in their 70s love those trendy t-shirts and comfy sneakers. The unspoken color code that implies dark skin women should avoid brown or blue navy is behind the times. This code is discriminatory. It’s about time to prove them wrong, ladies!

When women are no longer required to adjust their wardrobe based on their age, size, or skin color,
When women are no longer choosing what to wear based on where they live for safety reasons,
When women are no longer scrutinized for keeping it casual or not,

That what women really want, a wardrobe revolution!

What women really want: The Tee Awakening!

As a millennial, T-shirts used to mean a comfy top to wear for daily tasks such as working out, hanging out with friends, going to the grocery store... Not for a date, and even less for work!
However, retailers today are showing more interest in T-shirts because the mindset is changing.
Beauty is fine. Comfort is even better!
Our wardrobe is full of sober-go-anywhere clothes. We have tons of T-shirts, not only because we used them a lot but also because clothes have never been cheaper.
What fantastic news!
Except, it is not quite fantastic for everyone...
Especially not for the women workers who make them!
And that's why women's empowerment today is no longer about mindlessly wearing whatever we want.

Somewhere in the world, women are being exploited, so we can put on that incredible 3 dollars top. Their rights are being violated every single day. And by buying these T-shirts, we are contributing to maintain their exploitation in some places in the world. And No Women want that!

I’m absolutely not trying to make you feel guilty; on the contrary, what I’m trying to say is that YOU CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. These fast fashion brands are this big only because we allow them to. The power you hold in your hands is everything, so if we decide to change the fashion industry game, IT’S UP TO EACH ONE OF US! Nobody is dictating you what to buy, but becoming a mindful consumer starts with asking ourselves the right questions:
Why am I buying this?
Do I need one more top in my closet?
Is this shop greenwashing its products?

But above all, we need to stop asking why sustainable and ethical clothing brands are so expensive and start asking why everything else is so cheap.

To sum up:

Women have come so far,
From corsets to jeans,
From accepting dress codes to wearing what works for them,
From oppression to empowerment,
From you can’t because you’re a woman to you can because you are a human.

But there is more that needs to change, especially when it comes to the women who actually make our own clothes.
A t-shirt genuinely empowers women, only if its manufacturing isn’t exploiting other women wherever they are.
Empowering women is not wearing a t-shirt with the definition of feminism on it:
The radical notion that women are people.

That what women want!
But we are no longer falling for empty words...

It’s not about the label!
It’s about real action.
And that's what women really really want.

Action that Fast-fashion brands have ironically failed to understand!
The wardrobe revolution goes beyond what we put on. It’s about what we unapologetically stand for and how to make our conviction and action match today, tomorrow, and even to pass it to the next generation.